The Synod of the Church of Antioch asked Patriarch Bartholomew to convene an emergency meeting of the primates of the local Churches

    

The Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to convene an emergency meeting of the primates of the local Churches to discuss the latest developments in the Orthodox world, in particular the question of granting autocephaly to the new Churches together and come to final decisions.

The Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch issued a statement issued after the 10th of the next and 11th extraordinary session, which was held under the chairmanship of Patriarch of Antioch and all the East John X from 3 to 6 October 2018 in the Balamand monastery in Lebanon. Information-enlightenment Department of the UOC publishes this statement with reference to antiochpatriarchate.org.

The Holy Synod expressed concern over attempts to change “the geography of the Orthodox Churches” and noted that “when history is viewed unilaterally, it is not Orthodox unity, but, on the contrary, incites hatred and leads to a separation between the sons of the same Church.”

In Antioch the Church to reject “the principles of affirmation of the new Church within the existing boundaries of the canonical Patriarchates or Autocephalous Churches as a method for conflict resolution or as Ipso Facto in the Orthodox world”.

The hierarchs of the Antiochian Orthodox Church also stressed that “the solution to the problem of obtaining Autocephaly to a particular Church must be in accordance with Orthodox ecclesiology and with the principles of the consensus reached earlier by all the churches.” What does “agreement with the Mother Church, or with the consent of all the Orthodox Churches.” They insist that consensus in these matters to protect the unity in the Orthodox world should be achieved through joint efforts.

“Antioch Church warns of the dangers of joining the Orthodox Church in the international political struggle and the dangers of approach to Orthodox Church on political, racial, or national basis”, — is told in the decision of the Synod of the Church of Antioch.

“The Orthodox Church of Antioch asks His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, that he has called an emergency meeting of the primates of the local Churches to discuss the changes taking place in the Orthodox world, the document reads further — the granting of Autocephalous status to the new Churches and to develop common solutions before making a final resolution on this issue.”

The hierarchs of the Synod emphasized the “importance of spiritual recovery in this historical period and the need to preserve the peace and unity of Churches”, and called for vigilance “so as not to slide into “political pit””. Based on historical experience, the archpastors of the Church of Antioch said that “political traps weakened the Orthodox Church and the real effective Orthodox unity in the world.”

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